A Unified Theory of Polarity Sensitivity

This book examines polarity sensitivity - a ubiquitous phenomenon involving expressions such as anybody, nobody, ever, never, somebody and their counterparts in other languages. In this book, Ahmad Alqassas proposes a unified approach by examining the interaction between the various types of polarity sensitivity. Drawing on data from Standard Arabic and the major regional dialects represented by Jordanian, Egyptian, Moroccan, and Qatari, the book provides a new perspective on the syntax-semantic interface and develops a unified syntactic analysis for polarity sensitivity.